Automatic lock-valve.



W. WEBBER.

AUTOMATIC LOCK VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.2I,1914.

1 1 98,49 3 Patented Sept. 19, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

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w. WEBBER. AUTOMATIC LOCK VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2|, 1914.

Patented Sept. 19, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

TTORNEYS,

' WESLEY WEBBER, OF KEARNEY, NEW JERSEY.

AUTOMATIC LOCK-VALVE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 19, 1916.

Application filed February 21, 1914. Serial No. 820,355.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, VESLEY WEBBER, a

citizen of the United States, residing atv ticularly when such valves are used in prepayment or coin-controlled devices, such as a gas meter.

The device is illustrated as attached to a gas meter so as to clearly illustrate its use and operation. When the valve of a prepayment gas meter closes and a coin-operated device opens it, any open cocks or burners that are not lighted are a danger to the occupants of the house.

This invention provides a manually released latch that prevents the opening of the valve by the coin-operated mechanism, but which, however, permits opening of the valve when manually operated, so that after such opening the subsequent closing of the valve by the pre-payment apparatus is positive.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a view of the interior of a valve chamber of a gas meter with the valve open. Fig. 2 is a top view of Fig. 1 with part of its operating mechanism. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the valve chamber partly broken away, the latch of the valve being shown in released position. Fig. 4 is a similar view with the latch in operative position. F ig. 5 is a broken plan view of a meter with the top of the casing removed, and Fig. 6 is a front view of part of the meter. Fig. 7 is a section on line 77, in Fig. 8, and illustrating a device that is controlled by a coin, which device is adapted to make a delivery of gas in a measured quantity, and also illustrating a means for discontinuing the delivery after a prearranged quantity has passed through the meter. Fig. 8 is a top view of the device shown in Fig. 7 with certain parts of the mechanism omitted to more clearly illustrate the device.

The coin-operated or prepayment part of the device will be described hereinafter, and

it moves a part that is called the actuator ain Fig. 4, the dotted lines illustrating the position it is in when the amount purchased has been expended, and the full lines ShOW ing its position when gas is still being fed, that is, a quantity paid for which has not been expended. Movements from the dotted llne position to full line position is accompllshed by the coin-controlled device upon the insertion of a proper coin.

The usual form of gas meter has a valve casing 3 through which gas passes, the inlet pipe 1 having its outlet end 2 adjacent to a passage 2 that carries the gas on to the registering device and acts as a valve seat. The valve 4 is suspended over the valve seat 2 on the lever 4 to which it is pivoted, the lever in turn swinging with a shaft 10. The

shaft 10 extends to the outside of the casing of gas have a constant tendency to shut the valve 4. The arm 10 has a right-angled extension 9 which forms a shoulder and is slotted as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4, the slot receiving the free end of a spring 8 which is secured at its other end to the arm. The spring usually has a loop in it to give it more movement. The actuator (it bears underneath the spring, which is received within an opening a provided for that purpose and is indicated in dotted lines in Figs. 3 and 4, the springbeing stiff enough to hold the arm 10 and the lever 4 with its valve in open position.

WVhen a coin has been deposited, the actuator it holds the valve and its associated parts open, as shown in Fig. 8. When the actuator drops to its lower position, as in dotted lines in Fig. 4, the shoulder of the arm 10 releases the latch 5 which swings on the support 6 fastened to the valve casing. The spring 7 snaps the latch to its operative position, holding the arm 10 down as shown in Fig. 4. When the next coin is deposited, the actuator rises, but instead of opening the valve it bends the yielding means, the spring 8, and the valve does not open, being prevented from opening by the latch. The latch requires manual operation to release it, the form shown consisting of a nose 11 which engages an ex- .,to fit different sizes or widths of meters. One piece, as, is, is secured by pin 16 to the 1 A short shaft 13 to which the nose 11 is fastened, the piece h being secured to a shaft 14 extending through the stuffing box 18 and having a suitable handle 19 on the outside of the shaft. vWhen the handle 19 is turned, the nose 11 is pressed down against the part of the latch 5, the tension of the spring 7 is overcome and the latch clears the shoulder of the arm allowing the flexed spring 8 to throw the valve mechanism to its open position, and the arm l0 then acts as a stop to hold the latch in its released or inoperative position.

One form of apparatus for delivering a predetermined amount of gas, and means for closing the valve when such gas has been delivered, is shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

It will be evident that other forms can be used, this type beingsimply illustrated to show one manner of operating the valve of a gas meter, and in the form shown the actuator a is fastened to a bar 20 which slides in suitable supports or guides 21.

A lever 22 is pivoted at 23 and has a slotted end 24 connected as by a stud 25 to the bar 20. It will thus be evident that the normal tendency, assisted by the direction of the gas flow, is for the weight of the bar 20, the lever 22, the extension 9 and the valve 4, to close the valve, and in order to permit this closing the means employed consists of a cam 26 which is recessed as at 27,

" which recess, when it is propelled to a point over the stud 28 of the lever 22, permits the lever and the other devices to fall so that the valve 4 closes. It will be evident that a cam can be so placed as to positively force down the lever 22, but the cam shown, assisted by the weight of the parts, is positive to a degree that makes its operation certain. The cam 26 is secured to a shaft 29, and to said shaft is also secured a ratchet 30.

An oscillating shaft 31 is provided with a lever 32 on which is a pawl 33. The lever is held in normal position by a spring 34 and has a lip 35. The lip 35 is adjacent to a coin holder 36 which is slotted at 37 so as to receive a coin 39 when the coin is inserted through the opening 40 in the casing of the meter. The slot 37 is narrower at the bottom than the coin, and the coin is stopped with its lower part projecting as shown in Fig. 7, and when the coin holder is turned by means of the handle 41 the coin engages the lip 35, swings the lever 32 and the pawl 33, the pawl engages the ratchet 30 and moves the ratchet and the cam 26 so as to force the stud 28 from the recess 27 and the actuator a is consequently forced upward and after the manual manipulation of the releasing meansit maintains the valve 4 in an open position until the gas has operated the index mechanism which is connected to the cam 26 in a manner to be described hereinafter, and when the predetermined amount of gas has been delivered the cam 26 rotates to a position to permit the stud 28 to again drop in the recess 27. The spindle 42 is connected to the usual index of a gas meter, and by means of the gears 43, 44, 45, 46 and '47 is connected to a gear 48 which is loosely mounted on the shaft 29. The gear 48 is connected to the cam 26 by a suitable clutch 49 consisting of toothed rings that are fastened to the respective elements, and which cause the gear 48, when propelled from the index shaft 42, to rotate the cam 26 to a position where it will allow the valve 4 to close. The clutch 49 is opened when a coin operates the lever 32 to move the cam 26, this being accomplished by securing a suitable lever 50 to the back 51 of the cam 26, this lever being normally held in operative position by a spring 52. The lever, however, has a cam surface 53 against which swings an arm 54, which arm 54 is oscillated with the shaft 31, and when the shaft 31 is swung forward by reason of a coin engaging the lip 35, the arm 54 at once swings the lever 50 so as to release the clutch 49, this release taking place before the pawl 33 engages the ratchet 30, and by means of this construction the index shaft 42 is not operatively connected with the cam 26 by reason of the clutch 49. being released. The coin holder 36 is prevented from reverse rotation by a pawl 56 which engages a ratchet 55. The manual operation or releasing of the latch is-a reminder, and being necessary for the supply of gas insures a closing of gas cocks and burners before the gas passes through the meter after a coin has been deposited.

Changes and different dispositions of parts can be made without departing from the scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A device of the class described comprising a valve, a lever for operating the valve, a shaft to which the lever is secured,

an arm on the shaft, an actuator, a spring between the actuator and the arm, the spring being strong enough to hold the valve open, and a latch for holding the arm in valve closing position, said latch being spring operated to its operative position and adapted to be manually operated to its released posision.

2. A device of the class described comprising a shaft, a valve operated by the shaft, an arm on the shaft, a spring operated latch for the arm, an actuator for the arm, a spring on the arm and receiving the thrust of the actuator, and manually operated means for releasing the latch.

3. A device of the class described comprising a shaft, a valve operated by the shaft,

an arm on the shaft, the arm having a slotted extension, a spring secured to the arm and extending within the slot in the extension, a spring operated latch having an extension thereon, an actuator for pushing the spring toward the arm, and manually operated means for releasing the latch.

4.. A device of the class described comprising a shaft, a valve suspended from the shaft, an arm on the shaft, the arm having a slotted extension, a spring secured to the arm and extending within the slot in the extension, a spring operated latch having an extension thereon, an actuator for pushing the spring toward the arm, a second shaft, a nose on the second shaft for engaging the extension of the latch, and a handle on the second shaft for operating the nose so that the latch can be moved to its inoperative position, the arm locking the latch in said position.

5. In delivery apparatus, in combination, means arranged to make a delivery of material in measured quantities, means for effecting a discontinuance of delivery after the delivery of a prearranged quantity, resetting means for rendering the delivering means operative to resume delivery after a discontinuance of delivery has been effected, and means for locking the resetting means, arranged to become operative in the nondelivering position of the means for discontinuing delivery.

6. In delivery apparatus, in combination, means arranged to deliver material in measured quantities, shut-ofi mechanism 101- eifecting a discontinuance of delivery after the delivery of a prearranged quantity, resetting means operable during the delivery permitting positions of the shut-0E mechanism for rendering the apparatus operative to deliver the prearranged quantity of material, and locking means arranged to become operative, in the non-delivering position of the shut oflf mechanism, to prevent the operation of the resetting means.

7. In delivery apparatus, in combination, means arranged to deliver material in measured quantities, shut-off mechanism for efiecting a discontinuance of delivery after the delivery of a prearranged quantity, resetting means operable during the delivery permitting positions to deliver the prearranged quantity of material, locking means arranged to become operative in the nondelivering position of the shut-ofi mechanism to prevent the operation of the resetting means, and means for releasing the locking. means.

8. In apparatus for the delivery .of fluids, in combination, means arranged to deliver fluids in measured quantities, shut-off mechanism for discontinuing the delivery by such apparatus after the delivery of a prearranged quantity, resetting means, operable during the delivery permitting positions of the shut-off mechanism, for initiating a delivery by the delivery apparatus of the prearranged quantity of fluid, locking means arranged to become operative in the non-deliveringlposition Of the shut-off mechanism to prevent the operation of the resetting means, and means for releasing the locking means.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WESLEY WEBBER.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH J. CAREY, JAs. H. STRUBLE. 1

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

